A Blooming Spring in the Valley of Death
by ScarletRedSouls
Summary: Four is the handsome God of Death, the King of the Underworld. His home is dark, gloomy, and lonely. But what happens when love unexpectedly blooms in his heart for the Goddess of Spring? Hades and Persephone AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** **Yeah, first time writing a Divergent Fanfiction, although I'm not new to this fandom or writing fanfiction at all. I love Greek Myths very much, and my favorite ones are of "Eros and Psyche" and of "Hades and Persephone". I first wanted to write the "Eros and Psyche" myth, but I thought that Four doesn't actually look the "Love God" type to me, hence the God of Death.**

* * *

Upon entering a portal through a sacred mountain top, one could enter the abode of the mightiest gods that the mortals worshipped – Mt. Divergent. The king of the gods was Marcus, Lord of the Skies and Thunder, who was married to the literal epitome of Love and Beauty, Evelyn. Together, they had one son, who was only known to the mortals by his sacred number, Four. Four was the God of Death, a fact that had baffled the mortals and immortals alike.

When Four had come of age, his father had assigned him the duties of the Underworld, since no other god or goddess was willing to take the task. He had taken the responsibility without so much as uttering a single word. In order to make his life comfortable, Marcus had sent his son mountains of gold and precious gems in the Underworld, making him the richest god that there ever was. He had enough wealth to cover the surface of the entire Earth ten times over. Thus, the title of the God of Wealth was added upon him.

Four liked the quiet atmosphere surrounding his home. He wasn't a very social person, so he didn't mind being alone for most of his time, or watching the lives of the mortals on the thousands of screens placed in a separate room. However, he did feel lonely sometimes, so his best friend Ezekiel, or Zeke, the God of Wine and Celebrations came to visit him occasionally. Today was one of those days.

"Hey man! How's it going in the land of gloom and doom?" Zeke came in swooping in through one of the palace's windows, shouting cheerfully.

"Just the usual." Four shrugged. "Sentencing mortal souls to bliss or hell, counting the wealth unearthed by mortals, blah, blah, blah…" he drawled.

"Well, you're in luck." Zeke declared. "You need to come up with me to the party that just started, oh I don't know, a few days ago?"

"Sorry Zeke," Four said. "But you know that I have to take care of the duties down here." He said, spreading his arms wide.

"Oh come on, Four! It'll be just for a few hours. Besides…" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Think of the beautiful goddesses that are up there."

"Are you for real?" Four huffed, rolling his eyes. "Zeke, please. These souls won't take care of themselves."

"They'll be fine without you for a few hours, dude." He assured him. "Besides, a live company is much better than the dead ones anyway."

Four sighed, finally giving in. "Alright. But we'll be back after the second hour ends."

* * *

"Who in their right mind would host a party inside a nimbostratus cloud?" Four whisper shouts at Zeke, trembling due to the dizzying height of the party's venue.

For a God who was the son of Lord of the Skies and Thunder, he being afraid of heights was ridiculously ironic.

Perhaps another reason for taking the job at the Underworld – no scope for heights.

"Are you serious dude?" Zeke questioned, amused. "This is the only place your old man would let us have a party. Besides, this place is screaming 'parties'!"

"You'd know – you are the literal embodiment of party material, Zeke." Four responded drily, making Zeke chuckle. "I'm going to get something to drink. And don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." He warns.

"Duly noted. Now go before I try to set someone up with you."

Shaking his head, Four walked away to get some ambrosia for himself.

Zeke was about to go and find himself a date for the night, when he spotted a winged figure coming towards him cheerfully.

"Hey bro! You finally made it!" The winged god cried enthusiastically.

It was Uriah, the God of love, the ultimate matchmaker. He was also Zeke's younger brother.

"Dude, haven't seen you in like eons!" Zeke greeted his brother, slapping his back, careful to not touch the arrows Uriah uses to make mortal and immortals fall in love.

"Yeah! I was pretty surprised you managed to convince Four to come as well, seeing as he is such a Stiff."

Zeke was about to retort when he noticed an arrow that was incredibly silver, and incredibly out of place amongst his blood-red ones.

"Where'd you get that?" He asked pointing to the silver arrow.

Uriah perked up. "Oh, this little baby?" He pulled out the arrow for Zeke to observe. "I just got it delivered when I ordered it a few weeks ago. Custom made." He boasted.

"What is this for anyway?"

"It's like the ultimate arrow dude! One prick, and you're head-over-heels. This thing will only make you fall for your soulmate – I won't have to do all the work. Plus, it is infused with some sort of navigator. Caleb delivered it to me just a few hours ago." Caleb was the messenger of gods.

Zeke blinked. "I'm not sure if I understood all that crap you just delivered."

Uriah rolled his eyes. "You are not the brightest lamp here, so I am not gonna blame ya." He quickly loaded the silver arrow and pointed it random directions. "So, who do you think should be our first test subject?" He said, narrowing an eye.

"I'm not sure if you want to test it here, Uri."

"Come on bro, what could possibly go wrong?"

"The fact that an old prude might ge – HEY, WATCH IT MAN!" Zeke cried, as Uriah's hold on the arrow loosened.

"Argh! Mum's gonna kill me!" Uriah cried, when his silver arrow slipped and went in search of an unsuspecting victim.

The brothers quickly ran about the room, dodging young gods and goddesses, in order to find Uriah's newest victim of his new arrow.

When they finally found it, the ichor in their veins turned to ice.

Uriah's latest victim was none other Four, the God of Death.

Four's back was pierced with the silver arrow, his body rigid as a marble pillar. He was staring with his eyes wide, his mouth gaping open and close like a fish.

"Oh come on! Four cannot be in love with a mere flower nymph!" Zeke cried disgusted, following his best friend's gaze, where he could see a provocatively dressed, brunette flower nymph.

"Um, bro?" Uriah called out. "Four's _not_ in love with a flower nymph. It's the goddess who's standing _behind_ the nymph." He pointed out.

Zeke gazed hard at where the goddess was who Uriah claimed Four was in love with now. When the nymph moved out of the way, he saw her.

The goddess's hair was blonde, as if woven from the rays of sunlight itself. Her eyes were bright blue – brighter than the skies. Her lips were pink and soft, as the delicate petals of a flower. She wore a beautiful flower crown on her head, colorful and bright as gemstones, her floral dress equally bright. She was small, but the room seemed to be full of her.

It was Beatrice, the Goddess of Spring.

She was talking to another goddess with dark skin, laughing, completely oblivious to the awed gaze of the King of the Underworld.

"Oh crap."

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think of this! Peace Out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the support you guys showed me in the last chapter. So here's another one.**

* * *

Four knew that despite his warning, Zeke was prone to get into some kind of trouble, no matter what.

The close proximity of all the young gods, goddesses, and nymphs made him feel suffocated. He absolutely loathed small spaces, and these people had no qualms about get into his personal space.

Time to drown the discomfort in ambrosia.

So he made a beeline for the drinks. He picked up a bottle full of the honey-golden colored drink, intending to celebrate his lonely life, even with Zeke's occasional presence, which was not fulfilling. He turned around looking for any familiar face in this damn crowd, landing on a goddess, when his breath was caught in his throat.

She was beautiful – no, that word was still too small to describe her.

Wherever he had ever gone, his presence was not taken very positively – understandable since he was the God of Death and all. She on the other hand, radiated pure life, her bright smile filled with so much life, it could awaken the dead.

Awaken his dead life.

She was very much oblivious to his stare – a small part of him which was irritated, demanded that she pay attention to him. She was talking to another goddess, laughing, and Four swears he had never heard such a beautiful sound in eons.

Four was stunned at these new feelings. He had never felt such passionate feelings for another, and now he had no idea what to do with them. This woman was everything he needed in his life. He wanted to run his hand through her silky blonde hair. He wanted to kiss those petal-soft lips, know what they taste like. He wanted to kiss every inch of her pale, creamy skin night after night. He wanted those bright blue eyes of hers to look at him with all the love in this universe.

To sum it all up, he was totally and utterly screwed.

The only problem was that he didn't actually know who she was. He had isolated himself from most of the people, so he wasn't exactly aware of who was who and who did what. It wasn't a necessity for him.

He so regrets that now.

Four felt a tapping on his shoulder. He turned around and came face-to-face with a sheepish and mildly irritated looking Zeke. "Hey man, can you come with me, like, right now?"

Four hated that tone of the Wine God's voice.

Giving a curt nod, he followed Zeke into a relatively quiet place. Zeke burst out.

"Okay, I'm really, really sorry man! It was all Uri's fault! He got this new arrow thingy, and I told him to cut it, he didn't listen, and – "

"Whoa, Zeke, slow down! Breathe!" Zeke took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "Now, tell me what happened. What's this about Uriah?" A feeling in his gut told him it wasn't pleasant.

Zeke sighed. "Alright, I'll cut straight to the chase." He paused. "Uriah, got this new arrow, and he…uh, he…"

"'He' what Zeke?"

"He…shot it…at you. Don't get mad" Zeke squeaked.

Four felt as if he had been sucker punched to the face.

He had been shot at by one of Uriah's arrow, and now he was completely and utterly in love with the most beautiful goddess he had ever encountered. He knew of the incredible power of love Uriah possessed in those wretched arrows of his.

He really wanted to strangle Uriah right now.

Four sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So, do you have any idea where he is right now?"

Zeke shook his head.

"Can you at least tell me who was that goddess I saw?" Four asked.

Zeke perked up. "It's Beatrice, Goddess of Spring." He informed. Well, that explained that flower crown and floral dress.

"Beatrice." Four repeated. He loved the way her name rolled off his tongue.

"Yeah, she's pretty cheery, but not quite. She's got quite a temper, that one." Zeke chuckled. A bit of amusement left his face. "Although, it would nearly impossible for you to court her right now."

Four's stomach churned uncomfortably. "What do you mean?"

Zeke frowned. "You know, her mother is Natalie, Goddess of the Harvest." Four nodded, knowing who she was. Natalie was one of his mother's friends. "And she doesn't allow any god to court her. Which is unfortunate, as I've heard that Beatrice wants to get married."

That didn't sound good. ""Not allowed to court her?" What do you mean by that?" He asked, incredulous. He didn't care if he sounded like a spoilt brat at this moment.

"Natalie's extremely possessive of her. So much so, she has put her into some form permanent house arrest. She hates it when any male attempts to even look at her. She only allows Andrew and Caleb to talk to her. She's lucky she was even allowed to come here, with supervision of course." He tells him.

Andrew was the God of the Seas, Natalie's husband and, and Caleb was the God of Messengers, her son.

Before Four could say something, a young centaur came trotting towards them. "Lord Marcus wishes to see you in his court, Lord Four."

Damn, Marcus found out. Now he was screwed.

He gave a curt nod. "I'll be there."

* * *

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO LEAVE YOUR DUTIES IN THE UNDERWORLD?" Marcus shouted at his son. Lightning thundered and flashed in the court. Beside him, Evelyn rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I just needed a break from my duties. You know it's exhausting to work every single hour of my life." Four said defensively.

"Well, now you had your break. You can go back to fulfilling your duties now." Marcus declared, giving a dismissive shake of his hand.

"No."

Marcus stiffened at this declaration.

Had he really dared?

"No?" Marcus snarled.

"Not before I get something I want." Four clarified.

Evelyn shot her son a quizzical look, wondering what he needed if he has everything to sustain. "And, what is you want, son?" she asked softly.

"I want a wife." He declared.

Marcus scoffed. "That can be easily arranged. Now you can go back." He said impatiently, taking a sip of his ambrosia.

Four narrowed his eyes at his father. "I don't want just any woman." He said. "I want Beatrice."

The couple choked on their drinks.

"You and Beatrice? Impossible." Marcus huffed. "Natalie prizes her daughter too much to just give her away. She doesn't allow any mortal or immortal man to talk to her, let alone allow someone to court her. Pick someone else instead."

"I won't accept anyone except Beatrice." Four challenged.

Marcus sighed, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. Evelyn shot her husband a dirty look before looking lovingly at her son.

"Beatrice would be the perfect bride for you, son." She smiled. "Natalie should realize that Beatrice is not hers to keep forever. She is all grown up, and she wants and deserves a husband who would love and cherish her forever."

Four smiled gratefully at his mother, glad to know her approval. "I'll do my best to make sure she does not regret me courting her."

Evelyn grinned. "I love Natalie like a sister, but she needs to learn how to share." She turned to her husband. "You can leave now, Marcus."

Marcus looked offended at that. "You can't do that!" he cried.

Evelyn scowled at her husband, which caused him to flinch. He burst into light, and vanished.

Evelyn sighed, and returned her attention to Four. Her dark eyes glinted with determination. "Two days from now, Natalie is going to leave for a Harvest festival. We need to take advantage of that." She began pacing in front of her son. "Beatrice is going to be alone at her house for the time being, while Andrew is under the ocean for some work, and Caleb has hardly seen his sister." Her pacing increases.

"So what should I do? Ask her to court her while everyone is away?"

She stops pacing. "You need to capture her and take her to your home at the best opportunity." She declared.

Four's breath hitched.

Did she really just suggest that?

"Are you out of your mind?" he seethes through clenched teeth.

Evelyn sighs. "Unfortunately, it's the best way to get her."

His face falls. "I know." he admits. "But kidnapping…"

"Look, Tobias." She speaks sternly. "We know it isn't the best way to get her. But do you think Natalie would let the King of the Underworld court her daughter, when she has chased away other potential suitors?"

He grimaced. He knew his mother was right. This was the only way to get her, no matter just how unruly it sounded.

"Alright, I'll do it."

"Great!" She claps her hand enthusiastically. "It's a good thing she is not prettier than me, or else I would not have allowed her to live amongst us immortals, let alone let you court her." She says, making Four chuckle. She rubbed her hands together scheming.

"Okay, then here's what you should do…"

* * *

 **A/N: So, we will see Tris in the next chapter. And the drama begins...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I was in the mood to write, so the chapter's extra long. Enjoy!**

* * *

Every single step she took, the barren land she was walking started to come to life. Her heart ached at the thought that such a beautiful valley had been gulped down by the wild, hungry flames. She was now here to restore this area, which had been burnt in the deadly forest fire, under the watchful eye of her mother. Every step she took, the land became even more beautiful.

Beautiful enough to host the grandest of weddings, she thought, with a pinch in her stomach.

"There! Now it's even better than before, isn't it?" her mother squealed happily.

She nodded, smiling. "I suppose it is."

Her mother frowned playfully. "My dear, you should give yourself more credit. You have grown so much now, Beatrice."

 _Grown, but not enough to get myself a worthy suitor in your eyes._ She could only shrug.

As a child, she was allowed to play with other young gods and goddesses. It was only during her childhood that she met her best friend, Christina, Goddess of the Hunt.

However, as she grew, more gods began to notice her, for she was growing lovelier by the day. This stirred insecurity in Natalie's heart, who became jealous of the attention her young daughter was getting. She became fearful that one day a god Beatrice's age would whisk the little goddess away, and she would never be able to see her lovely daughter ever again.

Just before Beatrice hit adolescence, she kept a close watch on her daughter, and restricted her access to others, especially males. No man was ever allowed to look at Beatrice, and the young goddess was never to meet with a male, mortal or immortal. She was even refused contact with those goddesses who engaged in casual dalliances with mortal and immortal men, for the fear that they would try to sneak in a man to Beatrice. She had chased away all the suitors who came with the intention to court her. Only Christina was allowed to be with her, as the goddess had sworn off men from an early age, making her an eternal virgin. She supposed it was because Natalie wanted her to be an eternal maiden as well, and Christina might influence that decision.

As the two entered the house Beatrice resided in, Natalie spoke up.

"I have to go to a Harvest festival, dear." She said. "Are you sure you won't be lonely?"

"I have told you countless times, mother. I'll be fine. Christina would be here with me."

Natalie smiled at her. "Alright. But if you need anything from me right now and say it."

Beatrice bit her lip. "I was wondering if… you would allow me to meet new people, now that I won't age anymore."

Her mother smiled softly at her. "Sure dear. I will make sure to send some nymphs to this place."

She shook her head. "No mother. I was not talking about nymphs."

"Then what else would you be talking about?"

"I was wondering if I could some befriend some gods my age."

Anger spiked in Natalie's eyes. "No, you are not allowed to look at them, let alone meet them."

"But why mother?"

"Men are swines. They treat women as if they are toys. They have filthy minds and intentions, and are always up to no good. They think that they are far superior to women, and try to crush them."

"You married father."

"Your father is an exception. He's a very respectable man, and we knew each other for eons before we decided to marry."

"But how would I be able to know a respectable man and get marry him if you won't even allow me to see them?"

"You are far too young to know what love is, dear." She looked at the door. "I have to depart now. Have a wonderful week, Beatrice."

"Of course, see you later." She waved as her mother vanished in a bright light.

She sighed, and sat at the chair placed near the window sill. She began toying with a small flower pot, as she remembered the day at the party, when she had somehow managed to sneak at the party.

 _"Damn, this party rocks girl!" Christina exclaimed, grinning at her best friend._

 _"Personally, I would actually prefer a quieter atmosphere, but this party does look joyful!" Beatrice replies, smiling from ear to ear._

 _The Goddess of Hunt rolled her eyes. "Stop being such a stiff, and come on! Ambrosia is on me!" Saying so, Christina handed her a bottle full sweet, of honey-golden liquid._

 _"So," Christina began, taking a sip of her drink. "Anyone you like?"_

 _Beatrice blinked. "I don't know what you're talking about."_

 _Christina huffed. "Don't give me that look. Look around, there are so drool-worthy men around us, there must be someone who catches your eye."_

 _Beatrice looks around, and grimaces a little. "I don't know about that, Christina." She admits, her voice detached. "Mother would rather have me live my life as a celestial virgin like you."_

 _Christina snorts. "As if she knows that's the best life for you." She pauses. "So, what do you think of my brother, Albert? Do you think you would consider him a potential husband?"_

 _Beatrice wrinkled her nose. "I didn't consider him, and I don't want to consider him. He's unstable."_

 _"Yeah, I know that." The Goddess of Hunt admits. She lights up. "Don't you worry, girl. I'll just ask one of my hunters if they have a handsome brother to spare." This statement caused both of them to laugh loudly._

 _While she was talking to her best friend, she swore she could feel someone staring at her. But by the time she looked around to see who it was, they were gone._

She sighs as she continues to toy with the little flower, recalling her hour at the party. She looked out of the window, and frowned in confusion.

The nymphs that Natalie had assigned to guard her house were gone. Where were they?

Tentatively, she opened her door. She poked her head out to make sure that no one was around. She grinned in satisfaction, and stepped out of the little house.

She was gone for only a few yards, when she got a whiff of the unmistakable smell of smoke. Panicked, she ran back to her house, only to find that it was engulfed in flames. Tears welled in her eyes.

Suddenly, a large hand clamped around her mouth. She struggled to get of her perpetrator's grip, but his was too strong.

"Now now, my dear goddess. Is this how you greet your new husband?" a man spoke, his voice a little higher than most males, dripping with malice and smugness. Her fearful blue eyes met with his predatory green ones.

She made several shrubs and herbs grow, trying to stop this man from dragging her away. She succeeded for sometime, before he blind-folded her with a piece of cloth.

"Your stubbornness is admirable. Although, I have to squeeze it out of you, I can't have you causing more trouble for me." he grunted, as he dragged her away. Her tears fell on his hands, as the smell of her burning home filled her nostrils

 _Oh Gods, please someone save me_.

* * *

Four thought it was a bad idea. No, a terrible idea.

 _You have no choice._

Ugh, note to self: mute your conscience.

He hid behind a large bush, where he could see the small cottage Evelyn said Beatrice lived, two wood nymphs standing guard at the front door. He saw her on the window sill, toying with a small potted plant, lost in thoughts.

He could watch her like this forever.

Seeing his chance, he fished out some bright red gemstones, the size of his fist. Evelyn had said that nymphs got distracted whenever they see something shiny. Four threw the gemstones at a distance, making sure it catches light to make it glitter brightly.

The two wood nymphs perked up at the glimmer of the gemstones and scurried away. He then watched the Goddess of Spring stepping out of the cottage, grinning as she intended to savor every moment of a little freedom.

 _Gods, she was heavenly._

This was his chance!

However, before he could step out of his hiding place, he saw the little cottage burst up in flames. He frowned, as he spotted a distraught Beatrice rushing back.

He jumped out of his hiding place, and before he could catch her attention, a mortal man grabbed her.

What?

The ichor in his veins boiled to dangerous levels, as he watched that pathetic-excuse-of-a-human drag the goddess away. He could see Beatrice kicking and screaming, and even trying to grow some shrubs to stop her kidnapper, but all seemed vain. The mortal man seemed to be successful in his scheme to take the goddess with him.

As if he was going to let that happen.

He summoned a number of his skeletal guards, and sent them towards the duo. The guards caught the mortal off-guard, and fought him. The guards scampered away, carrying the goddess with them, towards Four, her being still blind-folded. Four made his way towards the mortal.

"And just," Four asked, his voice deadly quite. "What are you doing in this territory?"

The mortal's green eyes glinted with irritation. "I just came here to pick a wife."

"By kidnapping a goddess?" Four raised an eyebrow.

"Look buddy," he challenged. "My friend defeated the Great Minotaur. And he's getting a pretty demigod for a wife. It's only fair that I have a goddess for myself."

"And just who do you think you are, mortal?"

"I'm Peter." He narrowed his eyes at Four. "Who do you think you are, taking her away from me?"

Four glared at him. "I'm Four, God of the Dead." He smirked in satisfaction as he watched Peter pale in fright.

Four shook a dismissive hand, and the skeletal guards picked up Peter to throw him out of this place. He turned towards Beatrice, and removed the blind-fold. Her bright blue eyes met his dark blue ones.

 _Gods, she's beautiful._

"Where is that man?" She asked frightfully.

"He's been removed from the premises. I assure you that he would not bother you again."

He picked her up by her waist, marveling at how perfectly she fit into his embrace. He snapped his fingers, which made Beatrice drowsy. He gathered her in his arms.

"What are you doing?" she asked sleepily.

"Shh. Rest for now. You had an exhausting day. I'll explain later." He reassured her.

By this time, she had fallen asleep, her head pressing onto his chest. He picked her up like one would a bride.

A large hole appeared on the ground, with a staircase descending down into the underworld.

He let out a breath, and took a look at the sleeping goddess, looking fragile and vulnerable in his strong arms. With a sense of determination, he carried her to his home, in the depths of the Earth, in the Underworld.

* * *

 **A/N: How do you think Natalie's gonna react with her daughter being missing?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** **Sorry for the late update! I am preparing to get admission in a college, and I have to give a test on Sunday for that, so i'm super busy because of it. Enjoy!**

* * *

Natalie had this unpleasant feeling churning in her stomach ever since she left her daughter's side to attend this year's harvest festival. She had never felt this insecure in eons, and now, she was imagining the worst.

Was her daughter safe in her house?

It was probably her paranoia acting up. After all, no god – except for her husband and her son – knew the location of Beatrice's residence. She had also told her best friend Evelyn, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, mainly because she trusted that Evelyn knew of no man that was even close to suitable for her daughter. And of course, Christina, the Moon Goddess, since the young woman had sworn off men, and did not even try to pair Beatrice with her brother Albert, the Sun God. It was not that she wanted Beatrice to remain without a companion or spouse to be with her – although, the idea that she could be a Celestial Virgin was rather appealing – it was just that she could not bear it, should Beatrice's _hypothetical_ spouse would try to minimize the Spring Goddess' visits to Natalie, so that she would subject to his needs instead.

Her ichor boiled at the thought of another man touching her little baby girl.

As the week-long festival came to an end, Natalie rushed back to her daughter's cottage as fast as she could – only, there was no cottage.

Natalie choked back a cry, as she saw the blackened ground, and a hill of grey ash, with charred beams of wood burned at odd angles. The two wood nymphs she had assigned to guard her house, were crying pitifully, blaming themselves for the goddess's disappearance. Natalie was quick to forgive them, though.

The Goddess of the Harvest collapsed on her knees, devastated and heartbroken. The vegetation around her began to wither, turning a warm, golden brown. Her wheat-blonde hair started to turn a shimmering white. The green barley crown on her head began to wither and fall off. Her shimmering, wheat green dress, began to turn a pale brown, like a leaf losing moisture. Her youthful skin began to sag and develop wrinkles. Her viridian irides began to well up with tears.

With a determined look on her face, she set off to the mortal realm once more in search of her missing daughter.

 _She will find her!_

 _She had to!_

 _No matter what!_

* * *

Well, he got her here. Finally.

So what happens from here now?

"Man, that was one rescue mission." Zeke comments.

The two gods were currently walking down the corridors, towards the room, where Four had kept the sleeping goddess.

"Tell me about it." Four shrugs. "I still can't believe that a mortal managed to enter into a goddess's territory." He shakes his head. "That little sleaze-ball had the nerve to set her house on fire."

The Wine God's eyebrows disappeared on his forehead. "Are you messing with me?"

"Not only that; the creep had the nerve to think that he could have a goddess for a wife, by kidnapping her." Four scoffs.

Zeke lets out a sarcastic snort. "This weasel sounds like a coward. I bet he only went for her since she's the only goddess – besides Natalie – to actually have a residence in the mortal realm, and was an easy target." He pauses. "I have to get going now. See ya later, buddy!" With that, he burst into a blinding light, and vanished.

After walking for a few moments, he reached the door. He paused, took a deep breath, and knocked at the door.

* * *

The first thing she felt when she woke up was that her head was spinning.

What happened?

'Beatrice moaned and rubbed her temples, trying to ease the headache. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the most beautiful room imaginable, with carved marble pillars on the four corners, and the magnificent four-poster bed with the softest sheets she was currently laying on.

 _Where was she?_

She screwed her eyes shut as she tried to recollect the events before she unexpectedly fell asleep. She had gone out when the nymphs had wandered away, her house was burned to crisp, a mortal man grabbed at her, and seeing the most beautiful set of eyes she had ever seen. Just before she fell asleep, she remembered blue.

 _Oh Gods, did her mysterious savior bring her here?_

A knock on the door – and it was honestly a magnificent door, with different tales carved on it – startled her out of her thoughts. She took tentative steps towards the door, and her breath was caught in her throat as she saw who was on the other side.

He was the most magnificent being she had ever seen. His beautiful tanned body was sculpted to perfection, wrapped with black robes encrusted with gems, fit for an emperor. He had a spare upper-lip, and a full lower-lip, which had the power to entice any female into kissing them. His eyes were deep set, to the point the point that his lashes were touching his skin, and they were dark blue, a dreaming, sleeping, waiting color.

 _Blue_.

"W-Who are you?" She asked. She hated the way her voice trembled. She vaguely recognized this man.

The man gave her a slight bow. "I'm Four. God of the Dead."

Her eyes flew wide. _He had saved her?_

"What is this place? Why did you bring me here?" Beatrice demanded.

Four sighed. "This is my home, the Underworld. I had only gone to your home with the intention to court you."

"By kidnapping me?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Look," he said sternly. "I only came to your house with the intention of asking you to court me." He explained. "I only brought you here because a sick-minded mortal man had the audacity to kidnap you and try to make you your wife." She flinched at those words. "Not to mention that he also set your house on fire."

"So now I'm safe. Can I go now?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that." He spoke with a sudden vulnerability that surprised her.

"And why not?"

"If I do that, your mother won't allow me to see you anymore. And I don't think I would be able to handle that."

"I think you're being a bit over dramatic." She says with a snort.

He gave her a small smile, which made her want to melt in a puddle of goo. "You can blame Uriah for that." Then he turned serious. "Please, just stay here for a year. Let me allow you to court you now that your mother is not here." She groaned at the mention of her mother, knowing full well that would have found out by now that she's missing, and has most likely gone ballistic. "If you still don't wish to be here with me after the year has passed, I'll make sure to drop you off to your mother safe and sound, and won't bother you ever again."

She pondered over his words. True, his method of trying to court her was rather unorthodox and unethical, but at least she was free for now, free from the gilded cage. Besides, she was rather traumatized at the fact that she had to see her home go up in flames.

She frowned a little, and closed her eyes. "I need time to think. Can you please leave me alone?"

Something like hurt flashed in his eyes. "I'll be there when you need me." Saying so, he closed the door behind him.

The Goddess of Spring slowly made her way to the bed and sat down. She brought her knees near to her chest, and buried her head, lost in thoughts.

She didn't know if staying here in the Underworld was a good decision.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N : Hewo Peeps! Scarlet here! I know I'm terribly late with this update. Life's been keeping me busy.**

 **I'm finally out of high school, and would be starting university in August. Searching for a nice school had me completely drained. Probably a shameful fact, but playing games on my phone, joining several Aminos, doing lots of fan art, doing role-plays (and laughing my ass off) and learning to watercolour kept me away from writing another chapter. I'm not exactly proud, but I finally had time to write.**

 **On a side note, I had made a terrible decision of reading what is considered the "worst fanfiction in history" titled "My Immortal". Those of you have read it, kudos to you for surviving for it, and if not, then please don't bother reading it unless you want cancer :3**

* * *

Natalie had practically dug up the Earth, and turned the lives of the mortals up-side down. The farms became a wasteland. The temperatures dropped dramatically, indicating the blizzard that currently raged inside the goddess's heart. Food became scarce. People began to starve, and the population decreased dramatically.

The mortal world was in utter chaos.

Natalie had instructed her husband Andrew, to search the waters. He did as he was told by his distraught wife. But his efforts were in vain. She had tried to contact her son as well, but he had been sent away by Marcus for delivering a message to another god, and therefore, could not be available.

Because of the lack of food, the mortals were not able to put their offerings to the gods – they were used to feed the poorest of the poor. Animal sacrifices became practically non-existence. The only thing that the people had to offer the deities was their hopes and prayers.

This did not go unnoticed by the immortals.

Ever since the offerings ceased to come, the powers of the immortals were dimmed. Even if they wanted, they could not rectify the grave situation Natalie had put everyone in due to her grief.

And the only way to restore all that was to safely return the Goddess of Spring to her mother.

The only problem was that said goddess was nowhere to be found. The only "witness" of Beatrice's disappearance were the two nymphs. And their statements were as good as that of Albert's sacred cows.

The two realms were in deep peril, and unless the goddess is found, they were screwed.

Only time would tell.

* * *

Beatrice quickly found out that her newfound 'freedom' was just as miserable as when she was under the watchful eye of her mother.

True, she found solace in the fact that no one was breathing down her neck day and night, and that no one was here to tell her what to do. But it also made her insecure.

Since she found herself in an entirely different environment than the one she was used to, she had no idea what she wanted to do. The Underworld was a stark contrast to the mortal realm. Unlike the mortal realm, this place was always shrouded in darkness and gave her a very gloomy and lonely aura. The Underworld having no visible source of sunlight was a very distressing thing for her.

Dining with Four was awkward. He would try to initiate conversations, but she would shut him out really quickly. She admired his determination to talk to her, but she just wasn't ready to talk to him. She would only come out of her room just to eat, and then retreat back to her room. He would send gifts to her every day, but she could care less for them.

Four was at a loss. He had run out of ideas on how to coax Tris out of her shell. She had declared a few days later on a whim to stop calling her Beatrice, as she didn't feel like "Beatrice" right now. She would refuse to see him at anytime, except for when they were dining. She was so close, yet so far away.

He quickly realised though that the reason for her misery was a lack of sunlight and beautiful green fields. He had no clue as to what to provide to her that would make her smile again, just like when he spotted her at that party. Then it hit him.

He knew that Beatrice was miserable without the fields and sunshine. The King of the Underworld also knew just the place where she might feel at home as well. He hoped that it was enough.

"Tris?" Four says softly, knocking at her door. "Can I please talk to you?"

"Please go away." Tris sniffed from inside. Four sighed.

"Please, just this once. I have something to show you." He pleaded.

"I don't want any of your gifts."

"It's not something I can move around." He explained. He attempted one last time. "I know you're miserable here, because this place doesn't have any sunlight or fields, and you don't feel at home. I was hoping I could rectify that situation."

Tris remained at her bed, burying her head in her knees, as she sunk in his words. He pin-pointed the problem she faced while living in the Underworld. This place was too dark and gloomy for her liking, and she did not feel at home. Because she was the Goddess of Spring, she had the ability to bring a place back to life, and Four lived in a place that was home to the dead.

Still, she got out of her bed and went to open the door. It had almost been a month since she came here, and had very minimal contact with Four, by choice. She knew she couldn't avoid him forever, and that since he would bring her back to her mother in a little less than year, she might as well get to know him in the meantime. She opened the door, and saw a hopeful looking God standing in front.

He was still as breathtaking as when she had first met him.

Four, a bit startled to see her agree to his proposal, grinned widely, the whites of his teeth contrasting against his golden-tanned skin.

"Follow me." He said. The two walked together in the silence. Tris had no idea where he was taking her, but something in her gut told her that he could be trusted. Although, she couldn't understand the fluttering in her stomach that seemed to come alive whenever she was near him.

Eventually, they reached at the bank of a river. A beautiful gem-encrusted boat was anchored at the bank, with a hooded figure sitting at the front of the boat with a large paddle held in his arms, waiting for his passengers to climb aboard. Four climbed inside the boat, and held out a hand to her to help her climb inside as well. Tentatively, she grabbed his hand, climbed inside the boat as she took her seat beside him. The way her small, soft hand was wrapped in his large, calloused one sent shivers of pleasure through her entire body.

"Where are we going?" she asked, as their ferryman sailed them across the waves of the River Erudite.

"It's a surprise." He said a little nervously, as he urged the ferryman to pick up the speed.

The boat rocked and rolled along the waves of the river as they made their way to wherever Four said was her surprise. The ferryman later paddled the boat to the edge of the river after what felt like forever. The duo climbed out of the boat, with Four still holding on to the goddess's hand, walking a little ahead of her as he lead the way.

They entered a long, dark tunnel, with cave-like walls. Four's hand tightened around her and Tris somehow understood that he was not all comfortable in this narrow space.

At last, they came across a carved wooden gate, which was at least ten times the height of Four. He gave a gentle nudge at the crack, and the gates opened wide, giving the way to enter.

"It's . . . dark." She mutters. She's wondering why he brought her here.

Four nudges her forward. "Go on, I'm sure you'll like it."

Feeling a little doubtful, Tris walks ahead and enters the room. As soon as her foot touches the ground inside the gates, a brilliant flash of light emerges from underneath her toes. The flash of light spreads so brightly and fast, she had to cover her eyes to prevent herself from going blind. As soon as she opened her eyes, she gasped.

She was facing what she would refer to as Paradise. It was a large, endless field of green, with several fruit trees and flower shrubs scattered around. The sky was a brilliant blue colour, with beautiful mystical birds with their feathers of gold and silver soaring throughout the fields, singing the most beautiful tunes she had ever heard. The lake, she could see, was clearer than the glass, which showed her the clearest reflection of herself she had ever seen, which even a mirror was incapable of.

Slowly, she went deeper into the fields, trying to soak in its magnificence. The smell of fruits from a tree wafted up her nose, enticing her. She made her way to the most delicious smell of pomegranates she had ever smelled, and found herself in front of a large pomegranate tree. Seeing the red, fat pomegranates mixed with that delicious smell made her mouth water. She picked up the nearest fruit, and was just about to taste it, when an alarmed voice startled her.

"Don't eat that!"

Panicked, she dropped the fruit, where it was instantly buried under the grass. She looked at the spot mournfully. Four smiled sheepishly as he saw her pout.

"Sorry." He said. "It's just . . . when you eat the pomegranates from here, you become bound to the Underworld. Then you wouldn't be able to leave this place. Ever."

Tris's eyes widened as her mouth formed the shape of an 'o'. "Thanks for the warning." She said. Then she looked from left to right, and turned to Four with an awed expression. "What is this place?"

"This is the Fields of Amity." He explained. "This place is where souls of mortals are sent when they have won favour amongst the Gods and the mortals. This is the place where the most courageous warriors have taken up residence for a life of eternal bliss as a reward for their greatness." He shuffles his feet, looking at her bashfully. "I figured out you were miserable without the fields and sunshine, so I brought you here. I wanted to make you feel at home." He paused. "Do you like it?"

Tris just stood there, speechless and touched. She never knew that such a place existed in the Underworld. All the other presents he had given her paled in comparison as opposed to the surprise he had given her just now. Now, she couldn't bring in herself to feel any regrets about staying here.

Her face spread into an ear-splitting grin as she launched herself at Four, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love it, Four! Thank you!" she squealed.

As Four brought his arms around her, pulling her close, she inhaled deeply in his scent. Many nymphs had complained that the Lord of the Dead stank of death, but she wholeheartedly disagreed. It was the most wonderful smell that had ever filled her nostrils.

Of a forest fire in winter.

* * *

 **A/N: Please R & R!**


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